Prevalence and bacteriological investigation of Bacillus cereus isolated from meat and milk products in El-Gharbia governorate, Egypt.

Abstract

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords Bacillus cereus is a food-borne pathogen that can cause emesis, diarrhea and spoilage of different food products. For this, 125 random samples of meat products (luncheon and sausage) and milk products (ras or romy cheese, karish cheese and rice pudding), 25 of each, were taken from various shops and marketplaces in El-Gharbia governorate, Egypt to be examined for prevalence, isolation and identification of Bacillus cereus. Additionally, the significance of Bacillus cereus for public health was covered. The bacteriological examination of collected samples showed that a total of 40/125 (32%) Bacillus cereus strains were obtained; mostly they were isolated from Ras cheese 14/25 (56%) followed by Luncheon 11/25 (44%), Rice pudding 8/25 (32%) then from Sausage 7/25 (28%). There was no isolated Bacillus cereus from Karish cheese 0/25 (0%). Polymerase chain reaction for five random isolated studied strains showed that groEL (diagnostic and marker gene of Bacillus cereus) gene was detected in all five studied strains. The anti-microbial sensitivity test for 20 Bacillus cereus strains revealed that they were completely sensitive to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and levofloxacin (100%) followed by gentamycin (80%), doxycycline (60%), chloramphenicol (50%), erythromycin (30%) then clindamycin (20%), whereas they were completely resistant to ampicillin, cefipime, aztreonam and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. In conclusion, Bacillus cereus is a serious pathogens could contaminate foods as meat and milk products. So, hygiene procedures should be followed from the beginning of foods industries until reaching the consumer for controlling Bacillus cereus prevalence. Bacillus cereus Antimicrobial sensitivity groEL Meat and milk product PCR